Harry Potter and the Star of Hogwarts
by Shaun056
Summary: They called it The Star of Hogwarts, long ago destroyed but with great power. Created from the magic of all founders, it could be the weapon needed to defeat Lord Voldemort. But the dark lord has plans of his own, by invoking ancient magic, he has become more powerful than anyone could possibly imagine.


-CHAPTER ONE-

_The Leviathan Circle_

The ground was wet with early morning dew as the first Death Eaters arrived. They followed the gravel path from the road into the forest, deeper and deeper, until all sense of direction had been lost and the trees were packed so tightly together, and the broad leaves stretched out from their branches that any light from above was not able to pass through, plunging the Death Eaters into complete darkness. A void with no chance of escape.

They had been told not to use magic once inside the forest, he had told them not to use magic, not to disturb the sacred air. They fumbled through the bramble and bushes, receiving cuts and whacks against the face that they couldn't fix with their wands forced to live as the lowliest muggle.

Though the first Death Eater had arrived well before sunrise, it took about two hours before they had traversed far enough into the forest for any real sign of what they were here to do. Passing an elm tree with a bizarrely odd carving cut into it, they felt a shiver run through them, as though someone had poured ice and cut glass down their back.

It took yet another hour before they finally reached the area they had been told to meet at. A clearing, twenty feet across. The grass was dark, and patchy, a circle of dying trees surrounding an odd stone circle set into the ground looking just as dead and as the trees that surrounded it. Like the Elm they passed before, odd carvings were cut into the stone. The Death Eaters gathered around the circle and waited.

Throughout the day, more Death Eaters arrived. All of them were masked and hooded in dark black robes that offered little cooling from the heat of the summer day. No animals could be seen or heard. No chirping of insects or hoot and tweets of birds. Any flowers that may have lived here long since died away. The clearing was colourless.

Come afternoon, every Death Eater expected had arrived. Fifty two, each hooded and each silent. Now and again someone coughed, or began to pace up and down becoming more and more frustrated. By evening, no master had come to call on them. The forest was just as silent and dark as it had been all day.

The night was troublesome. Several Death Eaters began to make an exit but were stopped. A fight broke out. Several died. In the confusion or two may have escaped but it mattered little to the ones that had stayed, they would be rewarded.

No one slept that night. No one moved from their spot but to pace up and down as they had done for hours before.

Though their clearing was dark, they could tell that sun was coming yet again. A glow from the east that had settled in the west the previous night, signalled a new day.

A rustling sound alerted several Death Eaters from their thoughts. Three people had arrived in the clearing. The first was a pale wizard, with slits for eyes which were blood red, and a flat face given the impression that he had no nose. The second was a witch, whose wiry hair was decorated with several leaves and twigs. The third was a wizard. A hooked nose man with sank less eyes and greasy dark hair. He appeared to be carrying something, but his attention was on the pale man who led them in. His master.

Lord Voldemort surveyed the area with a keen interest, making sure to count how many Death Eaters were there, he gave a crawling smile which made several Death Eaters shudder.

'Good Morning.' he said in a less than whisper, 'So pleased I am to see that you have arrived. Though some of us, it would seem, did not make it. No matter.'

Upon seeing their master, the Death Eater's had created a circle around the outside of the clearing, as he passed, each bowed, lowering their heads and averting their eyes.

'Doubtless you have wondered, questioned why we were here at all, so far from the battleground. I will of course not leave you wondering, but we have other matters I wish to discuss before we move onto that.'

He paused, then began to slowly pace around the stone circle as his followers had been doing for hours before. He paused every now and again to observe a Death Eater, seeming to know who they were even when hooded and masked.

'Earlier this month, I tried to kill Harry Potter; I confess it did not go as I had planned, I was unable to possess him for even a moment. That, added with Dumbledore's assistance meant that Potter escaped unharmed and I was unable to learn the truth about the prophecy. I told myself it was no matter, I should take a different approach to this problem. Harry Potter, for the while, lives.

'Potter has had people protecting him his whole life. Various wizards and witches have played a part, but not for much longer. I am proposing an open hunt. All of you standing here today have the chance for great glory and honour, for killing wanted targets. These targets are those who have protected Harry for so long, but there are other surprises in this list I will get to later.'

Voldemort smiled his crawling smile once again, 'My first target is none other than Albus Dumbledore. For too long he has stood over Harry Potter with a shield, it is time he met his end. He will not however, go down easily, as I discovered to my cost. If he is to go down however, Minerva McGonagall must go with him she is the second pillar at Hogwarts, she will protect Potter to her dying breath, and she cannot be allowed to go on. With Dumbledore and McGonagall gone power will shift to less capable wizards, and the school will be easy for the taking.'

'Our third target is Kingsley Shacklebolt, a well accomplished auror and member of The Order of the Phoenix. Shacklebolt fought in the ministry of Magic and is perhaps the most capable wizard in the Order, apart from Dumbledore.

'Now, forgive me, but this becomes more banal, for the fourth and fifth targets on this list are not even of age... I am talking about Potter's closest friends. Mr Ronald Weasley who is the youngest son of Arthur Weasley who is a key member of the Order of the Phoenix and a muggleborn, Hermione Granger. You may ask what use these deaths will have. Well, imagine perhaps a Potter, his close friends gone. Angry with rage so powerful he will do anything to have his revenge. A Potter who will make simple mistakes because he has let his rage get the better of him. Take away his friends, and Potter becomes the easiest target in the world.'

Voldemort's voice lingered in the air; it was the only sound now. Not even the Death Eaters breathing could be heard or any rustle of wind, as if it was too afraid to enter the dark clearing.

'I shall say this though. None of these targets will be easy to kill. All of them will be aware of a danger to themselves to a certain degree. Even the children will expect attack. If you succeed, you will be rewarded. If you fail, if you are caught, you will have no assistance, I will not help you out of Azkaban, I will not help you defeat your captors. You will be alone.'

As Voldemort spoke the sun had risen so it was now visible beyond the vastness of trees that surrounded them. Voldemort raised his head to the sky and laughed.

'Who knows where we are?' he asked the circle.

There was silence. Then a soft voice called out 'The Leviathan Circle, my lord.'

'Correct. For those who are uninformed, the Leviathan Circle has a rich and terrible history. Two thousand years ago, there was a settlement not far from here containing both wizards and muggles. The magical community, were at odds with the muggles, an accident occurred where a wizard killed a muggle baby. The muggles became furious and drove all wizards out of the settlement to here. Here, the muggles butchered and killed each wizard; marking the place they did with these stones. However, in doing so they evoked ancient magic that stands to this day, magic which enhances power. Severus.'

The hooked nosed man stood forward handing over something to Voldemort he stepped into the middle of the circle.

'Today we will summon this magic once more. By killing a newborn baby.'

There was crying. The bundle in the circle shifted and a pink baby's face emerged, tears rolling down its soft face.

Voldemort withdrew a long thing wand and laughed. 'This, will be the first baby I kill. Avada Kedavra!'

A green light hit the baby and lit up the whole circle. There was a crackling sound, and then darkness.


End file.
